Company named in “2016 DEI® Best Places to
Work” for its disability inclusion practices
Company Website:
http://www.sprint.com
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- (Business Wire)
For the second consecutive year, Sprint
(NYSE: S) has earned a top score of 100 and the honor of “Best Places to
Work” for its commitment to creating a welcoming, inclusive work
environment for people with disabilities, according to the 2016
Disability Equality Index (DEI®), a joint initiative between
the US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®) and
the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). The
achievement signifies Sprint’s continued commitment to being an
inclusive and accessible company for employees, customers and throughout
its supply chain.
The DEI evaluates whether companies have practices in place to promote
equal opportunity employment, embrace diversity, encourage people with
disabilities to be themselves and have comprehensive policies in place
to assist people with disabilities. This year, 83 participating Fortune
1000 companies were judged on four major categories: Culture &
Leadership, Enterprise-wide Access, Employment Practices, and Community
Engagement & Support Services.
In both the inaugural 2015 report and the 2016 survey, Sprint was listed
among the top ranked companies, earning consecutive high DEI® scores
of 100 for demonstrating significant business leadership, going beyond
compliance activities, and driving business success through leading
disability inclusion policies and practices.
“A second consecutive top score for Sprint underscores how our
commitment to be a best-in-class organization for disability inclusion
practices has created a positive effect on the whole company,” said Mike
Ellis, Global Director of Accessibility at Sprint. “Our employees’
unique backgrounds and skills are essential to meeting and exceeding our
company goals. When we are representative of the diverse markets we
serve, we’re better at understanding and serving their needs.”
"We are proud to see the year over year growth, improvement and results
from participating companies,” said Jill Houghton, Executive Director,
USBLN. “We know that policies alone don’t always translate into
inclusion. The DEI provides a roadmap for advancing disability inclusion
by enabling companies to see both strengths and areas of opportunity
that exist across their organization, and provides a means to benchmark
against their competitors and businesses as a whole. This is only the
beginning of what’s to come as companies continue to embrace the DEI and
work hard to take their disability inclusion policies and practices to
the next level.”
Sprint’s score shows the continued success of a unique culture of
diversity and inclusion at the company through initiatives like its
employee resource group and the REAL DEAL – Resourceful, Empowering,
Awareness, Limitless (REAL) for Disabled Employees Accessing Life
(DEAL). REAL DEAL recognizes and celebrates the contributions of people
with disabilities, and taps the collective resources, knowledge and
experience of Sprint employees who have a disability, or know someone
who has a disability.
“As we approach the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and celebrate our achievements, we also recommit
ourselves to ensuring all Americans with disabilities are able to build
vibrant futures for themselves and their families, and the DEI can help
make that happen," said Helena Berger, President and CEO of AAPD. "The
DEI is an effective, non-punitive tool -- as demonstrated by the many
returning companies who maintained or increased their score – that
builds a partnership between the disability and business communities to
ultimately expand employment opportunities for individuals with
disabilities and embrace the talents and skills we bring to the
workplace."
About Sprint
Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more
and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about
most. Sprint served more than 58.8 million connections as of March 31,
2016 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying
innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a
national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands
including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless;
instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a
global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the past five years. You
can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
About the Disability Equality Index® (DEI®)
The DEI® is a joint initiative of the USBLN and AAPD.
Developed by the DEI
Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy
experts, and disability advocates, the DEI is a national, transparent,
annual benchmarking tool that offers businesses an opportunity to
receive an objective assessment of their overall disability inclusion
policies and practices. It is an aspirational, educational, recognition
tool that goes far beyond legal compliance, helping companies identify
opportunities for continued improvement, while building their
reputations as organizations that value diversity and inclusion.
The DEI was first introduced in 2012 and piloted in 2013-2014 with 48
companies prior to the official go-live launch of the inaugural DEI in
Fall 2014, which concluded in 2015.
About the US Business Leadership Network®
(USBLN®)
The US
Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®) is a
national non-profit that helps business drive performance by leveraging
disability inclusion in the workplace, supply chain, and marketplace.
The USBLN serves as the collective voice of nearly 50 Business
Leadership Network affiliates across the United States, representing
more than 5,000 businesses. Additionally, the USBLN Disability Supplier
Diversity Program® (DSDP) is the nation's leading third party
certification program for disability-owned businesses, including
businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.
About the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
The American
Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener,
connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and
economic power of people with disabilities. As a national
cross-disability rights organization AAPD advocates for full civil
rights for the 50+ million Americans with disabilities.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160713006370/en/
Contacts:
Sprint
Lisa Dimino, 913-258-3497
Lisa.Dimino@sprint.com
Source: Sprint
© 2024 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.